[Approaching the hull sector! All soldiers, pay close attention, we are nearing the enemy hull!]
The information was transmitted directly through the warship's structure, reaching everyone's auditory sensors.
At this moment, the enemy forces could not yet perceive the warships.
Only upon impact with their fortress would the enemy realize that the adversary had arrived.
The warships' method of boarding was never a gentle affair.
Although the vessel had begun its deceleration sequence before contact, upon collision, its remaining speed still exceeded 200 kilometers per second.
At this velocity, compounded by the warship's sheer mass, the resultant kinetic energy was sufficient to shatter a planet outright.
Luna and the others could clearly feel the colossal ship swaying violently.
The oscillation reached peaks over 70 meters, and the tremors persisted for a full half-minute. Some soldiers, who had delayed donning their battle gear, were directly knocked unconscious by this fierce vibration.
Admittedly, with the full protection of their mechs, they would have been fine; however, a minority of the troops had elected to wait until the docking sequence was fully complete before engaging their mechanical suits.
This group constituted a small fraction.
And at this precise moment, the main assault force had already surged out of the vessel's breached side.
Outside was now a true steel jungle; the warships had impacted directly into the core of the enemy's stronghold.
Luna, at this juncture, was entirely encased within a silver-white mech unit.
This suit lacked a defined mask structure; rather, it adhered to her body like a fluid layer of oil. Luna's face appeared painted in the same silver hue, with even her eyes and every strand of hair matching the metallic sheen.
When she moved, she traveled parallel to the ground, head foremost, feet trailing behind her.
And a massive ring orbited her body.
The inner diameter of this ring measured 3 meters, while the outer diameter spanned approximately 5 meters.
The ring possessed a notable width of 1 meter.
Numerous recessed slots were visible across its surface, resembling specialized bearing mounts.
Within each slot, an item designated as Luna's equipment was housed.
[Attention, all units! This mission's critical objectives are the enemy stronghold's power core and its computational core. Neutralize any immediate threats obstructing passage, but be absolutely clear: our intent is conquest and subjugation, not annihilation. All unauthorized acts of indiscriminate slaughter are strictly forbidden.]
Sucan's voice reached the ears of every soldier.
At this point in time, had they been behind her, these transmissions would have been instantly absorbed by the passive field generated by Satan's Hand.
Theoretically, Sucan was broadcasting from directly ahead of the assault group.
"Intriguing!"
Luna accelerated rapidly through the interior structure at a velocity surpassing 7 kilometers per second.
If an obstacle materialized ahead, the orbital ring surrounding her body would emit a focused light, releasing precise lasers to disintegrate the obstruction immediately.
The architecture here was profoundly alien compared to anything the Federation had encountered.
Numerous four-dimensional geometric forms were present; if one approached the walls closely, one would perceive that these flat surfaces contained countless illusory patterns. Fixed structures appeared dynamic, large objects seemed miniscule, and small objects appeared vastly magnified.
Her laser struck the wall ahead. On occasion, the wall would momentarily display a ridiculously large aperture, hundreds of meters in diameter, only for the opening to snap back to its actual, small dimension upon closer scrutiny.
Not only that, Luna had clearly been flying for 10 seconds, which theoretically meant she had covered over 70 kilometers. However, according to the 3D navigational map displayed within her mech, she had traversed less than 100 meters of physical distance.
"It's not that the architecture here is four-dimensional geometry, but rather that the space here operates under four-dimensional geometric rules."
"My movement vector causes displacement in the fourth dimension, and motion along that fourth-dimensional axis is not conventionally represented on the standard 3D mech display."
Luna herself could distinctly perceive the spatial warping.
When the surrounding walls drew near, she would even experience a certain degree of visual distortion, akin to a fisheye lens effect.
This environment was inherently a spatial nightmare for strictly three-dimensional entities.
Fortunately, Satan's Hand provided a crucial function in helping her distinguish specific vectors; otherwise, she would undoubtedly become hopelessly disoriented here.
After flying an unknown distance, Luna saw dozens of her soldiers' bodies strewn across the ground.
The moment she spotted them, a colossal entity attacked from the side.
That thing utterly overshadowed the sky.
A device integrated into Luna's body immediately activated. The terrifying electromagnetic force generated directly pulled and stitched the surrounding spatial passage back together.
She stretched her hand forward, and dozens of fragments flew out from the activated circle, assembling rapidly before her hand to form a seven-meter-long, silver-white cannon. The muzzle featured 20 energy-accumulating rings. Energy poured into them, and a delicate laser beam, barely 2 cm in diameter, was fired.
This 2 cm delicate laser diffused after traveling 200 meters, expanding into a 40-meter-diameter beam.
Before Luna's eyes materialized dozens of data panels.
[Compressed Laser Cannon Discharge Complete. Energy Consumption: Reduced by 0.18%.]
[Recording Four-Dimensional Space Information. Four-Dimensional Database Updating. Four-Dimensional Space Simulation… Four-Dimensional Space Camouflage… Four-Dimensional Space Correction…]
[Warning! Latest Enemy Profile Analysis Complete. Length: 28 cm, Diameter: 7.1 cm. Mechanical Entity. Due to insufficient four-dimensional data, opponent may evade compressed laser cannon attack originating from the fourth dimension.]
[Analyzing Enemy Survival Probability: 62.71%. Recommend careful observation of immediate surroundings.]
[...]
What was the true advantage of a specialized mech?
This.
It provided supplementary computational power to the user and displayed results with extreme speed.
If a person attempted to analyze these metrics independently, they would need to engage in deliberation, wasting precious time.
When wearing a mech, the user only needed to perform one action: implicitly trust the mech's judgment and then execute the resulting command.
Luna barely glanced at the data, and her body immediately initiated movement, shifting several hundred meters to the side.
The next moment, she witnessed a gigantic object rushing toward her former position. That entity appeared to be at least several thousand meters long initially, but as it neared her, it seemed to shrink to only a few tens of meters, then it shot past her original location, rapidly expanded in size again, and vanished.
According to the mech's precise calculations, that object was actually only about 30 cm long.
This was Luna's initial engagement with a four-dimensional civilization, or perhaps more accurately, an artificial construct operating across dimensional boundaries.
It was indeed vexing.
Not because the entity itself possessed overwhelming raw strength.
But because four dimensions remained fundamentally incomprehensible to three-dimensional beings.
This encounter was comparable to attempting to read advanced English: you might recognize the characters and grasp the superficial meaning, but when it comes to true, nuanced communication, not a single coherent sentence comes out.
[Enemy Approaching!]
The mech issued another warning.
There was nothing visible in front of Luna.
However, the mech displayed a small auxiliary screen beside her primary line of sight. On this small screen, the object was rapidly approaching her again.
"Mech, pinpoint current location, plot evasion trajectory, display auxiliary line."
Luna issued the command.
In less than a second, the necessary trajectory and auxiliary lines materialized within her field of vision.
The massive circular array surrounding her body rapidly emitted an extremely high amount of energy, generating a robust energy shield directly in front of Luna.
The object struck the energy shield, causing the entire field to vibrate violently.
And Luna, at this precise moment, regained a brief trace on the object. Dozens of laser beams from the circle pursued the target.
The object's velocity remained astonishingly fast; in the confined space, it could momentarily exceed 200 kilometers per second, vanishing around a corner in a flash.
But in just an instant, it attacked again.
Luna's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Activate gravity countermeasures."
The gravity system on the circle instantly increased the gravitational pull in a 100-meter radius around Luna by one thousand times. This terrifying gravity severely affected the object's trajectory, even slowing its phenomenal speed.
Luna locked onto the object with her weapon, and this time, an antimatter area cannon fired.
Although the antimatter beam did not directly strike the object's core, it detonated brilliantly when it brushed past the target, engulfing a 20-meter radius, swallowing the entity whole.
And even after being struck by the antimatter blast, the object retained a damaged physical form, falling clumsily to the ground.
"This is somewhat problematic. I estimate the other soldiers won't fare well. Four-dimensional boarding combat is more difficult than anticipated."
"It's a relief if they don't all die."
Luna had expended significant resources just to neutralize this single threat.
Therefore, the other soldiers would surely struggle even more, potentially even facing counter-elimination.
The enemy performed poorly on the interstellar battlefield, yet, unexpectedly, these skirmishes proved remarkably elusive.
Luna approached the peculiar object.
She picked up the small gadget that had given her some trouble earlier.
It was a peculiar mechanical organism.
It wasn't a bio-simulated creature; its overall shape resembled a thick, short arrow. The tail housed a very small rocket booster, and the head was cross-shaped with a minuscule hole at the center, which felt as if it contained an entire world.
[The internal volume of this mechanical construct is 283 cubic meters, containing far more intricate structures.]
The mech provided the inspection report.
This object, which appeared externally no larger than two large mineral water bottles, actually contained a complete two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment inside.
This configuration was absolutely unprecedented and nearly incomprehensible within three-dimensional space.
"So, this can be understood as existing in the fourth dimension, right?"
[Correct. This is a four-dimensional technique. Four dimensions allow for packing significantly more matter into the same perceived volume as three dimensions because the methodology for calculating four-dimensional volume is entirely distinct from three-dimensional volume.]
It could be conceptualized that, to the perspective of a four-dimensional being, they could inherently perceive the entire internal structure of this object.
Consider it this way: in three-dimensional space, you construct a bottle. If a two-dimensional being approaches the surface of this bottle, it can only observe a single cross-section. It believes the bottle is flat, failing to grasp the reality that there are contents inside.
If it were a cube, a two-dimensional being might perceive it as a flat metallic membrane. They would assume that by piercing this membrane, they could destroy the cube. But in reality, the cube possesses terrifying depth, and they would require tens of thousands of times the energy they initially estimated just to breach what they perceived as this "metallic surface."
Three-dimensional beings entering the domain of four dimensions face precisely this predicament.
After discerning an opponent's three-dimensional size, one must also ascertain their true fourth-dimensional volume.
"So, this entire stronghold could actually be infinitely larger than what we perceive externally, then?"
[Correct. The actual internal volume of the stronghold could exceed 1 cubic light-year.]
Note: In four dimensions, using "cubic" might be technically imprecise, but it converts to the actual contained volume.
Such a stronghold could effectively house an entire star system of three-dimensional space.
It sounded utterly unbelievable.
But what if, within the fourth dimension, the volume equivalent of a star system was merely the size of the three-dimensional Milky Way?
"Although I can grasp the concept intellectually, my head feels like it's going to explode."
"It's truly better not to dwell on such complex thoughts."
"Have you detected the location of the energy source?"
[Detecting energy flow within the wall structure. Attempting to breach for destruction is viable.]
Luna simply reached out and destroyed a section of the wall.
What was emitted was a laser blast, but the resulting aperture in the wall, after being breached, was not a straight line.
Luna decided she no longer wished to engage in detailed research.
She simply jumped into the opening, seeking a viable path forward.
Regardless of the civilization, an efficient pathway was certainly necessary for energy transport, though such pathways could manifest differently. The path here, for example, manifested essentially as a single point.
It appeared as a point, yet the majority of its volume resided in the fourth dimension.
At this juncture, Luna could physically interact with the path itself, but because her sensory apparatus had not evolved to perceive four dimensions, she could not properly visualize it. She could only see the point of intersection.
Luna opened the point.
A massive current of energy flowed into her body.
This energy was not electricity, nor dark matter, nor antimatter; it was a specialized energy unique to the fourth dimension.
However, its influence could still be analyzed through the lens of the four fundamental forces.
While it did not belong to those forces, its effects were analogous to them.
Luna couldn't directly absorb this energy, but she didn't need to right now. All she required was to trace the direction of this flow.
She allowed the energy to surge along the path.
Even if the path wasn't primarily engineered for electromagnetic force or light energy, its conductivity for those energies was still superior to the surrounding material.
Luna directed her mech to scan and detect the direction of the current.
"Analyze the specific path signature, then provide navigation guidance."
Luna examined the readings herself, realizing that significant portions of the energy conduit existed only in the fourth dimension. She currently lacked the capacity to traverse the fourth dimension.
Even the mech itself, which simulated four-dimensional space, could not actively move within it.
[Analysis complete. Guidance path established.]
[Calculating the endpoint coordinates in the fourth dimension. Unable to reach the endpoint directly. Potential strategy: Utilize enemy transport mechanisms or capture enemy entities to guide navigation into deeper layers of the fourth dimension.]
"Let's proceed with that plan, then."
"This is precisely what I excel at."
Luna instantly felt a surge of renewed enthusiasm.
She continued her advance toward the stronghold's core.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Sucan encountered a large number of hostiles.
Similar to Luna, he charged forward, directly breaking through to the opponent's main conference area.
The entities he faced were the truly intelligent beings of this civilization.
They resembled shifting clouds of gas.
"Black mist?"
"No, gaseous life forms."
This was an entirely novel experience. Even within Hyperdimensional Space, which generally mimicked elements of reality, Sucan had never encountered such an existence.
For the ancient Federation, such a life form was deemed unrealistic.
When Sucan identified his opposition, they simultaneously perceived him.
Then, almost in perfect synchronicity, both sides raised their weaponry and fired.
The opposing civilization was effectively nothing more than a cloud of vapor, yet its internal structure concealed formidable weaponry. Sucan's physical body was instantly sheared into countless fragments.
[Molecular-Level Shearing Force Detected!]
Sucan only registered the warning at the absolute last microsecond.
But fortunately, the next moment, his body reassembled itself.
This was the innate ability of his mech suit.
The mech itself was composed of numerous, interconnected small units. Molecular-level shearing was entirely insufficient to compromise the mech's structural integrity.
Once Sucan stabilized, the mech covering his body expanded, enveloping him in a suit of armor, and a mechanical wing structure manifested upon his back.
This wing was certainly not for mere aesthetics. The wing consisted of exactly ten feathers, and each feather functioned as both a potent weapon and a high-output thruster.
The smallest two feathers detached and flew into Sucan's waiting hands, gripping them securely. Their tips condensed into light blades approximately 2 meters long. These light blades were terrifying, high-energy lasers whose temperature alone exceeded 320 billion degrees Celsius—capable, it was said, of slicing through anything.
This was Sucan's preferred combat configuration.
The reason beings from Hyperdimensional Space were designated as Divine was precisely this: they possessed, at minimum, one set of powerful, self-sufficient individual combat gear.
This individual combat equipment was termed the "Transcendent Realm" by those residing in Hyperdimensional Space.
To possess a Transcendent Realm meant achieving the Divine stage.
Of course, Transcendent Realms themselves varied dramatically in inherent strength.
The advancement process for a Divine being involved a continuous cycle of optimizing this Transcendent Realm.
Sucan was a Divine being naturally inclined towards command roles, but precisely because of this inclination, after attaining his Transcendent Realm, he gradually modified it to favor close-quarters combat. He thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of melee—that element of randomness, the palpable danger, a feeling entirely distinct from issuing battlefield orders.
The thrusters on his back activated.
Instantly accelerating his speed to 30,000 kilometers per second, he charged toward the mist-like entities.
Terrifying, internally-contained light blades began to reap through those life forms.
At extreme velocity, the light blades, as if leaving luminous tails, arrived instantly before the mist-like entities.
The terrifying heat and energy were entirely constrained within the light blades themselves. Only upon actual contact with the blades could one truly perceive their destructive magnitude.
But even this contact far exceeded the limits that conventional life could withstand.
It was akin to throwing a person into molten lava: this person wouldn't even register pain before being instantly vaporized into ash.
The light blades pierced directly through one life form's gaseous body.
Shearing its form in two.
Yet, the expected termination did not occur.
The two severed portions of the mist-like life form immediately enveloped Sucan.
At this moment, Sucan's mech issued an urgent warning.
"So that's the mechanism. I cannot perceive its four-dimensional volume."
"So what I cut wasn't a complete severance—not even a full severing—but merely poked a small aperture through its body."
How does one strike across four dimensions?
This presented a troublesome variable for him.
Because close combat was his specialty, and while he possessed numerous close-range attack vectors, he preferred the visceral feeling of slicing enemies with the light blades in his hands.
"Then I will simply make more apertures. Even if I am only cutting a finger, severing it ten thousand times will become unbearable."
There was a famous adage within Hyperdimensional Space:
——All Divine beings are fundamentally insane!
This saying was not only entirely accurate, but it also perfectly encapsulated the inherent struggles and conditions Divine beings had to endure.
The developmental path of a Divine being was a brutal pilgrimage through countless worlds.
This was not some delicate parlor game described in fiction, but a genuine, relentless struggle for survival.
The enemy would deliberately torment you.
The enemy would play with you.
For instance, arranging a hundred estrous stray dogs for your confrontation.
Such scenarios were distressingly common in the Hyperdimensional Space ecosystem.
It was absolutely not a peaceful domain. Every Divine being had experienced this; every Divine being had even consumed filth.
These were not deliberately fabricated scenarios.
In truth, these represented the genuine realities, the true nature of this conflict.
The sight of enemies sharing a common objective, smiling and setting aside past grievances, was utterly absurd. Even in Earth's history, whether during feudal conflicts or the world wars of the industrial era, any individual captured by the enemy would face torment driving them to wish for death.
Some referred to Hyperdimensional Space as the domain of devils, the very essence of hell.
Some even felt that the traditional description of Hell sounded like a paradise compared to the reality of Hyperdimensional Space.
Divine beings were those who had crawled their way out of such depths. They not only possessed formidable strength but also an unshakeable inner fortitude.
This resilience stemmed from enduring countless moments of helplessness, humiliation, indignation, and profound disgust…
In fact, by the climax of their trials, they had become completely adapted to everything. Though they were titled Divine, and claimed divinity, they were capable of stooping to the lowest depths at any given moment.
Light blades danced swiftly.
The mist-like entity that lunged at him was cleaved apart yet again. Its body instantly fractured like opening chrysanthemum petals, severed countless times.
The mist-fruit lifeform retreated, its form painfully contracting.
A sinister grin spread across Sucan's face.
"You're next."
He accelerated his speed to 40,000 kilometers per second.
In a confined environment, achieving 40,000 kilometers per second was terrifying.
In reality, the inherent strengths of Divine beings were relatively comparable, as Divines generally maintained all-around capabilities; they rarely specialized in a single field.
Within a single world, specialization held utility.
But across Hyperdimensional Space, spanning countless worlds, your abilities might be overwhelmingly strong in one reality, yet in another, even a common dog might feel capable of bullying you.
Versatility was indispensable for Divine beings.
Despite cleaving the mist-like entities in the room multiple times, Sucan still hadn't managed to eliminate them.
Even flaying a person repeatedly makes their final demise exceptionally difficult.
"Truly bothersome."
Sucan moved close to another lifeform, then, via physical contact, allowed his own form to shift into the fourth dimension.
However, even by moving into the fourth dimension, he still could not fully perceive it. He could only observe the exposed portions of his opponent. It was only then that he launched his attack, immediately provoking a violent reaction from the entity.
Sucan noted the absence of any cry of pain from his opponent. The surrounding atmosphere did contain gaseous matter, but it was a type that did not correspond to any known element on the three-dimensional periodic table.
This fact demonstrated that the opponent possessed the capacity to use air vibrations to transmit information.
Which implied the emission of sound.
The opponent might be actively suppressing its sensation of pain.
But even concealed agony would still trigger a conditioned reflex upon attack. After all, it was genuinely being harmed; this represented a subconscious mechanism for injury evasion.
"That seems like a viable approach."
"But it remains somewhat inconvenient."
"To neutralize these lifeforms effectively, the optimal method remains area-of-effect attacks."
Sucan actually observed that these entities had not made significant advancements in terms of individual combat prowess.
They resorted to using actual weapons to engage him.
But after their initial offensive failed, they did not deploy any other weaponry.
This suggested a clear deficiency in a diverse arsenal for single-target engagements.
In fact, human civilization exhibited a near-identical pattern.
Their soldiers were equipped only with rudimentary laser weaponry.
And he, as a Divine being, was unique.
Still, it was within his expectations that prolonged ground combat would favor the Divine forces.
Sucan hoped the other Divines would fully exploit their advantages in this situation.
"These foes pose no genuine threat to the Divine. I wonder how many other Divines are currently deployed with my fleet. They should be focusing on locating the energy core now. So, I shall simply eliminate more…"
No, he corrected himself mentally. "I will attract more enemies."
"I almost betrayed my true intentions!"
Within Ayla's files, Sucan possessed one particularly troublesome documented trait.
That was his inherent love for slaughter.
On average, in every world accessible via Hyperdimensional Space, Sucan was responsible for the deaths of over a million individuals. In certain instances, he had even orchestrated the complete destruction of an entire world.
"Mech, document the stronghold's layout immediately. Quickly pinpoint the enemy's core zones."
[Understood.]
Sucan continued to press deeper into the enemy stronghold.
...
For the Divine entities, there was essentially no existential threat here.
But for ordinary mortals, this location was unequivocally the territory of death.
At this precise moment, hundreds of millions of soldiers had entered the stronghold.
Most personnel were driven by the desire for military distinction, so they initially scattered, hoping to secure more enemy kills individually.
Soon, however, they honestly grouped together.
Too many of their comrades had perished.
Along every short distance traveled, the corpses of hundreds or thousands lay strewn about.
"We haven't even seen the enemy's face, yet so many people have already died. I think we should just retreat back to the warship. It should be safer there."
"These people are insane. Why are there so many defensive installations inside the stronghold?"
"We can't even ascertain their location. In four-dimensional space, we are like boats sailing on the water's surface. We can only clearly perceive what is above the surface, but we cannot discern the underwater depths. This is not an arena suited for us."
Transitioning from three dimensions to four dimensions, every soldier was actually eager for the experience.
Not solely because this represented humanity's first truly significant, all-out dimensional war.
But also because they understood that this opponent was not overwhelmingly powerful; they had already inflicted a heavy blow upon this civilization once before.
But now that they were truly present here, they realized the assessment was entirely wrong.
They, these utter failures, were still nothing more than cannon fodder units.
"Retreat?"
"Don't forget, our mechs are continuously recording our actions. Once we return, we will face immediate military processing."
"This is a four-dimensional conflict, a war between civilizations. As deserters in a war of civilizations, we will be executed instantly."
"Returning means certain death. Continuing forward might still offer a slim chance to earn merit. I choose the latter."
One soldier, visibly agitated by the ominous talk, interrupted the retreating sentiment.
Yet, deep down, he likely wasn't entirely free from thoughts of withdrawal.
With his comrades exhibiting such a lack of professionalism, he realistically felt his own survival odds were minimal.
Nevertheless, as he stated, they genuinely had no recourse for retreat.
This squad of soldiers numbered just over 200.
They were practically shuffling forward, their pace not exceeding 20 meters per second.
Just as they advanced, a bizarre sound suddenly emanated from the side, startling the entire formation.
The group immediately looked in the direction of the sound, only to find that everyone was staring in a different direction.
"I clearly heard the sound coming from over there. Are your ears malfunctioning?"
"Your ears are malfunctioning! It definitely came from over there! My mech even confirmed the trajectory!"
The group hastily corrected their positions relative to one another.
They quickly realized that over 200 people had established over 200 distinct lines of sight.
So, this situation certainly wasn't due to faulty auditory perception.
While they were still processing this confusion, absolute darkness instantly enveloped them. No matter which direction they looked, visibility was zero. Even activating their mech lights revealed nothing beyond their immediate surroundings.
At that precise moment.
Terminal readouts began flashing casualty alerts.
[Alert! A soldier has perished within 100 meters of your location.]
[Alert! A soldier has perished within 100 meters of your location.]
[Alert! ...]
This cascade of warnings plunged these soldiers into even deeper panic.
In less than 10 seconds.
The enveloping darkness abruptly receded.
The remaining survivors quickly scanned their surroundings.
They found over a hundred comrades lying in widening pools of blood.
The truly strange aspect was this: Their physical bodies appeared completely intact, showing no visible wounds, yet blood was flowing profusely, and these individuals were unequivocally dead.
Bizarre!
If this were 200,000 years ago, someone might have immediately suspected hauntings or ghosts.
Fortunately, the mech systems provided a definitive analysis.
[Hostile entity detected originating from the fourth dimension. Their demise resulted from an attack upon their fourth-dimensional volume.]
The fourth dimension, once again.
"We low-dimensional beings are nothing more than living targets here."
"The home civilization's advantage is magnified infinitely."
Terror instantly saturated every soldier's heart.
They possessed zero chance of survival in this domain.
"Why send us here? It's purely a death sentence!"
"Could it be they sent us here specifically to die? As a distraction to draw enemy fire!"
That sentence struck a nerve, hitting home instantly.
The other soldiers at this moment all felt the brutal truth of it. They could only wait for their inevitable demise.
The unseen entities that had attacked them were surely preparing a new assault.
Just as they entertained this dire thought.
Suddenly, a new figure materialized among them. That person possessed a colossal silver circle suspended behind them, and their entire body was encased in silver-white armor, their face completely obscured.
"Did a dark figure just pass by?"
The other person inquired.
"Yes, we were just engaged in combat," a soldier replied.
Luna nodded, poised to leave, but she paused, then issued a directive to this small contingent of troops.
"Inside this is data I've compiled regarding the stronghold and the enemy. Distribute this widely when you encounter others. With this, you can effectively manage a portion of the opposition."
Having spoken, Luna instantly vanished from their sight, as if performing a rapid transposition.
However, the remaining soldiers' mechs quickly analyzed the situation: Luna had simply shifted into the fourth dimension.
The soldiers received the data package from Luna.
Inside, there was indeed extensive information on the enemy and precise methods for traversing into the fourth dimension.
"The high command truly hasn't deserted us!"
These ordinary soldiers were close to tears. This capability was exactly what they needed most right now.
"According to the data, the enemy's technological standard is indeed slightly below ours; they are currently relying solely on their home-field advantage."
"Next, we will organize into teams. Some will venture deeper into the fourth dimension to conduct comprehensive surveillance, thereby preventing any surprise enemy assaults."
They dispersed.
Meanwhile, Luna had already intercepted the entity that had previously engaged the soldiers.
She could not perceive it directly; she relied solely on the mech's display to gain a general outline of its form.
It resembled a shifting cloud of vapor or mist.
Luna flew forward and positioned herself to block its path, but the object immediately fled into the fourth-dimensional domain.
By this point, Luna had already mastered a simpler technique for navigating the fourth dimension.
This method relied on subtle manipulation of the surrounding atmosphere and solid surfaces. Essentially, it was akin to "feeling her way along the boundary."
Her movement speed within the fourth dimension was also incredibly fast; she quickly closed the distance to the entity again, allowing the mech's systems to take over the targeting, locking the weapons onto the opponent.
The mech then activated its regulated energy emission.
It precisely modulated the quantum particles of the surrounding atmospheric gas.
This instantly solidified the entire region of space, effectively trapping the fleeing entity.
Luna approached the immobilized area.
In her direct visual field, nothing remained visible, but upon careful microscopic inspection, she could still discern the opponent's faint outline.
The target could not completely mask its presence within the other three dimensions. A four-dimensional entity remained four-dimensional, just as a three-dimensional being cannot wholly collapse into two dimensions.
"Analyze this entity."
Luna, without hesitation, excised a small sample from its form and placed it in her palm.
Her five fingers, functioning like a sophisticated Swiss army knife, deployed various minute probes to conduct an immediate examination of the material.
A discovery was rapidly made.
This thing was, in fact, a semi-mechanical construct.
Its structure was composed of half mechanical elements and half mineral-like substances.
Furthermore, analysis of the mineral component revealed it possessed highly active structural components. This type of structure felt strangely similar to... cells!?
"Theoretically, it qualifies as a living organism?"
[Affirmative. Analysis confirms the captured individual is a high-level intelligent life form belonging to this civilization.]
The mech validated Luna's suspicion.
Luna carefully examined the complex structure of the specimen, finding it highly intriguing.
However, she was not a specialist in biology, so her interest remained purely academic.
This iteration of Luna existing within Hyperdimensional Space had been deliberately configured by Ayla, possessing no residual memories of the original Luna.
"Assimilate it, then terminate it. We must proceed. This location appears to be drawing nearer to the primary energy core."
Luna had no intention of preserving the specimen for others to research. Once this area was secured, all life encountered here would become research assets.
Just as Luna terminated the entity, the mech abruptly triggered an alarm.
The mech issued a warning signal.
Hundreds and thousands of bright energy signatures were converging rapidly toward her location.